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Energy Tomorrow is brought to you by the American Petroleum Institute (API), which is the only national trade association that represents all aspects of America's oil and natural gas industry. Our more than 500 corporate members, from the largest major oil company to the smallest of independents, come from all segments of the industry. They are producers, refiners, suppliers, pipeline operators and marine transporters, as well as service and supply companies that support all segments of the industry.

So, there was scant, direct mention of energy during Tuesday night’s State of the Union. We’re glad the president devoted some time to the country’s need for more infrastructure – just look at New England! – and he also talked about a new era of embracing American energy, also good. At the same time, we’d argue virtually everything the president highlighted during his speech involves energy in some way. The economy, national security, bettering the lives of Americans – all of these are connected to natural gas and oil and/or its development. Which is what we’ve been saying: energy is everything, and energy is powering Americans past impossible.

For the first installment of my API Chart of the Month series, let’s look at a pair of charts that show the strengthening of U.S. trade positions for petroleum – crude oil and refined products – and natural gas – supported by trade pacts such as the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). This is especially timely given the possibility trade will come up during tonight’s State of the Union address.

Looking ahead to Tuesday night’s State of the Union Address, let’s hope the speech helps Washington focus on accelerating gains made by U.S. energy over the past several months. America’s natural gas and oil renaissance has boosted the economy and Americans’ individual prosperity while strengthening our country’s security and making significant environmental strides. Time to double down on that progress.

It’s become a State of the Union tradition: President Obama touts the benefits of oil and natural gas production without identifying the American energy revolution as their source. This year, the president implied that government investments in wind and solar are the reason the United States has “cut our imports of foreign oil by nearly 60 percent, and cut carbon pollution more than any other country on Earth.”

“Gas under two bucks a gallon ain’t bad, either,” he continued.

The New York Times was quick with a rebuttal, writing: “Private oil and gas companies, however, were a driving force behind the most important changes in the United States’ energy landscape over the past seven years: lower fossil fuel emissions and a reduction in dependence on imported oil. … A glut of domestic oil has helped lower prices and imports. The new supply of domestic natural gas has helped lower greenhouse gas emissions. Electric utilities have traditionally relied on coal as the cheapest fuel source, but turned to natural gas as it became cheaper.”

During his last State of the Union address, President Obama could declare victory – an energy victory that has seen surging domestic production, lower consumer costs, economic growth and environmental progress, all happening together, on his watch. The president can say this U.S. model is winning the day, because it is. He should say this model is exportable to the world, because it is.

Fact: Affordable natural gas – the average price at the national benchmark Henry Hub in 2015 was the lowest since 1999 – is largely the reason wholesale electricity prices at major trading hubs (on a monthly average for on-peak hours) were down 27 percent to 37 percent across the U.S. last year compared to 2014. That’s a real benefit for consumers.

Talking about the need for infrastructure investment, the president said:

“Democrats and Republicans used to agree on this. So let’s set our sights higher than a single oil pipeline. Let’s pass a bipartisan ... infrastructure plan that could create more than 30 times as many jobs per year and make this country stronger for decades to come. Let’s do it. Let’s get it done.”

We agree. America’s infrastructure needs are greater than a single oil pipeline – the political football known as the Keystone XL – which the president has been punting around for more than six years.

The eight states at the heart of the American shale oil revolution all grew faster than the U.S. national average over the last decade, according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA), underscoring the importance of oil production to the U.S. economy.

Gross domestic product (GDP) attributable to private industry grew at a compound annual rate (CAGR) of 1.8 percent between 2002 and 2013 for the nation as a whole, after allowing for inflation.

But for the eight states at the centre of the shale oil revolution, all of which have increased their production by at least 20,000 barrels per day since 2008, private sector GDP growth has been much faster.

President Obama’s State of the Union message clearly indicated he understands the role domestic oil and natural gas development can play in creating jobs and lifting the economy. Now, will he act? Will he do things to help foster an array of benefits the oil and natural gas industry can provide our country? Let’s go over what we heard Tuesday night.

The Deficit

The president: “Our work must begin by making some basic decisions about our budget – decisions that will have a huge impact on the strength of our recovery. … We are more than halfway towards the goal of $4 trillion in deficit reduction that economists say we need to stabilize our finances. Now we need to finish the job. And the question is, how?"

OK, so here’s the deal: Seldom is the annual State of the Union message going to be confused with the Gettysburg Address for lyric quality. Historically, presidents use the speech to set out detailed policy agendas. As listeners seek focus during an oration that might stretch an hour or more, we’re here to help.

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Energy Tomorrow is a project of the American Petroleum Institute – the only national trade association that represents all aspects of America’s oil and natural gas industry – speaking for the industry to the public, Congress and the Executive Branch, state governments and the media.